The Seven Wonders of the World were works of art and architecture considered by the ancient Greeks and Romans to be the most fabulous creations of antiquity. They were the Pyramids of Egypt, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Temple of Artemis, The Statue of Zeus, The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, The Colossus of Rhodes, and The Pharos of Alexandria.
1. Temple of Artemis-The Temple of Artemis is depicted in a fanciful reconstruction based on an Italian Renaissance church in this hand-colored engraving by Dutch artist Maarten van Heemskerck. Built in Ephesus in Asia Minor in 356 bc, the Greek temple was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was destroyed by the Goths in ad 262.
2. Colossus of Rhodes-The Colossus of Rhodes, depicted in this hand-colored engraving by Maarten van Heemskerck, was built about 280 bc. Standing 30 m (100 ft) high, it was built to guard the entrance to the harbor at Rhodes. The ancient Greeks and Romans considered it to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
3. Pharos of Alexandria-The Pharos of Alexandria, an ancient lighthouse, is depicted in this hand-colored engraving by Maarten van Heemskerck. The lighthouse stood on an island in the harbor of Alexandria and was over 134 m (440 ft) tall. It was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
4. Hanging Gardens of Babylon -This hand-colored engraving by 16th century Dutch artist Maarten van Heemskerck depicts the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Technically, the gardens did not hang, but grew on the roofs and terraces of the royal palace in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar II, the Chaldean king, probably built the gardens in about 600 bc as a consolation to his Median wife who missed the natural surroundings of her homeland.
5. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus-The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, depicted in this hand-colored engraving by Maarten van Heemskerck, was built about 353 bc. The mausoleum was a huge marble tomb built for King Mausolus of Caria in Asia Minor. It was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
6. Statue of Zeus -The Greek sculptor Phidias created the 12-m (40-ft) tall Statue of Zeus in about 435 bc. The statue, depicted in this engraving by 16th-century Dutch artist Maarten van Heemskerck, stood in Olympia and was perhaps the most famous sculpture in ancient Greece. Phidias made the god’s robe and ornaments from gold and carved the body out of ivory.
7.Pyramids of Egypt-Of the Seven Wonders of the World, the famous pyramids located in Giza, near the city of Cairo, Egypt, are the only ones remaining nearly intact. They are depicted here in an engraving by 16th-century Dutch artist Maarten van Heemskerck.
